The meeting bench enables people to interact in movement as well as in conversation. It responds to the brief of a research for a "democratic seat". After analyzing both these terms, some words like : inclusive, confortable, familiar and interactive came to mind. To build the idea of a meeting bench, no new materials were to be used. Every element of the design was up cycled from a baby crib, representing rebirth, found in North London, on the side of the road.
THE MEETING BENCH
GROUP WORK WITH YUXIN LI AND JASON LEE
DEMOCRATIC SEAT
DEMOCRACY
FOUND ELEMENTS
The baby crib which was found, was already in pieces, ready to be built up. After analyzing the qualities and flaws of the materials, and original design, we decided to go through a recomposition of the elements and a change of the purpose of each of them. Only the side rails and the base were used to complete the meeting bench.
SEAT
LINES AND LIGHT
RE - USE / UPCYCLE
WOOD SHEET TO SOLIDIFY SEAT
BED WOODEN PIECES BASE TURNED INTO SEATS
SIDE RAILS CUT AND PUT TOGETHER TO SHAPE THE HOLDING BASE
BLOCK TO CONTROL INSERTION
45° CUT TO ASSEMBLE PIECES
The base of the crib became the pieces of seating of the bench and the hand rail became the base of the design. Holding the design together, the rails also enabled the seating pieces to slide in and out . This creates an interaction and a discussion purpose at the start of the experience. It is a very inviting process in which people face each other and choose to be here together. Democracy is about including and opening up discussions. That is what this seat also does.
RE - COMPOSITION
MOVEMENT
